Question about Harvard Admissions Requirements

<p>Hello CC,</p>

<p>I know I should be searching the Harvard website for answers to my questions, but I have final exams and I am really short on time... so I wanted quick answers.</p>

<p>1) Can you double-major AND minor at Harvard? I read that you cannot have a minor at Yale, and cannot double-major at Princeton.</p>

<p>2) Is there a general entrance exam required for admission to Harvard?</p>

<p>Thanks in Advance :)</p>

<p>Don’t take my words too seriously, as I am new to these forums and am only an underclassman, but I’m going to guess based on prior experiences of friends and family that the answer to both is “no”. I think 1 is “no” because a recent graduate who loves music, science, and math from our county is studying physics and math at an Ivy (he could easily handle all three). I’m pretty sure that 2 is “no” because its hard enough to get in already! (GPA, SAT, Etc.) But anyway, even though I’m probably wrong, this will bump your thread. :)</p>

<p>You cannot double major at Harvard. You can create a joint concentration, which means you must write a thesis, and the thesis will be judged on how well you combine the two fields. Anthropology and astronomy is probably impossible. Some other concentrations, like economics, will not let you create a joint concentration with them. I believe you could acquire a joint concentration and a secondary field (minor) if you felt like it, but given Harvard’s course structure, doing so would be terrible for both your academic and non-academic lives without any real payoff.</p>

<p>Not really. You have heard of the SAT and ACT, yes?</p>

<p>You can do it-- but you have to really want it. It will mean that aside from language and gen eds the rest of your courses will be in both fields–more or less. Harvard prefers that a student have a concentration and a secondary (minor) but in most cases will go along…my S is doing a joint music and mathematics concentration and had to convince both departments (and had to produce a dummy course schedule for the next 3 years (he is a rising sophomore)). It wasn’t easy-- esp to get music to agree-- math was easier because Noam Elkies the present chair of Math is also a composer so he thought it was GREAT.<br>
Like most things at Harvard, if you are persistent and can make a credible case, most (but not all of the time–a freshman who wants to do 5 or 6 courses will be told NO by his or her advisor, but as you get further along in the College, they are more willing to listen…) of the time the College will let you do want you would like (they have a “it’s your funeral…” approach) . But you may have to get past the initial “no” (maybe even several "no"s) to demonstrate that you are serious.</p>

<p>2) Is there a general entrance exam required for admission to Harvard?</p>

<p>Ans) SAT is the only test you require for getting in to Harvard college but you need to score extreamly well …</p>

<p>Crystal, in addition to taking the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT, Harvard also requires applicants to submit scores from two SAT Subject Tests.</p>

<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Frequently Asked Questions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/faq.html#8]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/faq.html#8)</p>